The classification society Rinave – Registro Internacional Naval, SA, has certified an aluminium platform, adapted to the bow of a rigid inflatable boat, to enhance the safety conditions of the access to the Windfloat floating wind turbine.

This turbine has been moored for two months in the ocean energies park of Aguçadoura, six miles off the port of Póvoa de Varzim. A test program is now underway, which requires constant access of technicians and equipments to the Windfloat. In order to improve the safety conditions of the access, a platform has been fitted in the bow of the rigid inflatable boat contracted for this service.

The platform has a high rigidity, provided by two longitudinal girders and two lateral girders (port and starboard) at 45º and is accessed using a small ladder from the deck of the boat. The platform is fitted with guard rails across its perimeter and, when completely fitted, weights around 300 Kg. It includes two fenders which absorb the impacts with the Windfloat. The upper and lower parts of the platform are open, allowing the seawater to flow through in case of impact of the boat’s bow with a wave. The design has been carried out by the Portuguese naval architecture design office OneOcean.

The certification involved the approval of the plans of the aluminium structure, including the study with a beam model, the survey of the construction and static and dynamic tests including suspension and impact. The later consisted of impact tests on a mock-up structure, specially built for these tests, which reproduces the structure around the access ladder fitted in Windfloat. The objective of these tests was to simulate the conditions of operation of the boat and, in particular, the approach to the structure.